Welcome to the first edition of Vietnam Road News. We intend to publish three times a year, and our target reader are those companies in Vietnam involved in road and infrastructure design, investment and construction. Our company tagline is “Prosperity through Technology” and this newsletter will showcase equipment and methods that can help improve design and construction/renovation of roads to the benefit of businesses and road users.

Hamm - Phu Quoc Island Highway

Vogele - Can Tho Highway

Slipform - Hanam Highway

Recycler – Long An Road

As I write this, the economic situation is at its worst. Inflation sits at 20%; banks won’t loan and if they do, it is at very high rates which make it difficult to make money in business. The government is cutting infrastructure spending to save and everyone is talking about waiting until 2012. However the strongest of Vietnam’s infrastructure companies are getting ready for the future, preparing projects and ensuring their equipment is in best condition. When economic policy loosens in the next months as expected, there will be a rush to invest in new machinery and get to work on new and delayed projects. Those who are ready will benefit the most. Lead times on new equipment means buying decisions should be made this year.

 

Vietserve has seen its focus in 2011 shift to parts and service as customers seek to maximize use of existing stock, with many delaying purchases of new equipment to late 2011 and 2012. Existing equipment becomes more valuable and it is very important that owners maintain their fleet in best working condition to minimize breakdowns, maximize working and earning time and to ensure higher resale values when trading up to new equipment.

 

We hope you enjoy this newsletter. Be sure to click on the links provided throughout the articles for further information as well as our website www.vietserve.com

 

Warm regards,

Michael Gebbie

Director

Newspapers are full of stories of roads and highways, some of them still new, breaking up due to combinations of a weak base, heavy traffic loads, flooding and various quality issues. The common solution has been overlay but this is not a long term solution and constant overlay work does nothing to repair the base and sub-base which continue to deteriorate. When invested capital is added up over the life of a road, build and maintenance costs make each km of the Vietnam road system amongst the most expensive in the world.

 

Cold Recycling offers a long term solution to maintenance of roads and highways in Vietnam. Applied correctly and with the right equipment, recycling can rehabilitate a heavy load road for 10 years or more. Solutions can be tailored to match future wheel loads. The benefits to the government are peace of mind as roads become a positive news item rather than a negative one. Investors including maintenance departments of local Public Works love this solution as it is a one-time rehabilitation with no unexpected future repairs and replacements. Even more so, contractors will find great financial benefit in cold recycling as the process uses existing materials in situ, saving aggregate material and delivery costs. Finally, road users will benefit as work can be carried out overnight and requires a minimum of road blockage, allowing traffic to proceed even when roads are being renovated.

 

In late 2010 Vietserve together with a local contractor Hoang Trang, imported a WIRTGEN WR2400 COLD RECYCLER from Germany and recycled a stretch of 1km of road in one of the most difficult hotspots, National Road 1A, Binh Phuoc, the main truck corridor linking HCMC with the Mekong Delta. This section of road had been repaired many times but these repairs always failed due to permanent water ingress into the base from the nearby river (in high tides water would pour up through the roadside drains!) as well as a constant 24 hour stream of heavily loaded trucks.

 

After analyzing the results of core samples, Vietserve in conjunction with Wirtgen Group engineers were able to determine the most effective mix design (using the Wirtgen WLB10 Mixer), involving certain percentages of cement, water and bitumen to form a very strong binding agent called foam bitumen.

Before recycling	Spread 1% cement by Streumaster
Recycling by Wirtgen WR2400	Hamm footpad 20T
Level by grader	Compact by roller
Finish compact by rubber tyre roller	After recycling

The trial was performed on a day when it rained constantly but we the mix design was able to be adjusted to take this into account and the recycler operated without interruption. Icluded in our train of equipment was the Streumaster SM16 for distributing cement in proportion and density, as well as the Hamm 20T padfoot soil compactor. A minimum of 20 tonnes is required to ensure a firm base.

 

The recycler cut to a depth of 27cm, mixing the existing asphalt, sub base and base layer with cement, hot bitumen and water, and the resulting

recycled layer was hard enough to allow traffic to flow after a few hours. This is a big advantage of the process as it does not block roads for long periods (the recycler can work at speeds of up to 10m/minute at a width of 2400mm) and the asphalt finish can be carried out on a later date without deterioration of the recycled layer.

 

After a testing period of 12 months the results as measured by tensile strength have surpassed the target levels set by the Ministry of Transport by more than 150% and the process has been approved at all levels.

 

The first tenders for repair by cold recycling are now being prepared and there is great interest from provincial public works departments as well as central government infrastructure planners.

 

To read more on this cold recycling process using the Wirtgen recycler click here or visit our website at www.vietserve.com

During difficult economic times it is important to be able to rely on existing equipment to handle more jobs than planned. New equipment decisions are delayed and the maintenance and upkeep of used equipment becomes the key to avoiding delays on completing projects and cost overruns.

 

Vietserve offers customers a complete one-stop service solution for your business. From selling genuine parts to conducting call-out service checks at your job site, to conducting complete refits of your equipment at our service centre, we have the right solution for you.

 

All of our technicians undergo full training from Wirtgen German trainers, both in Vietnam and overseas. Senior Service managers have more than 10 years experience working on Wirtgen equipment, including Hamm, Vogele and Wirtgen milling and recycling.

 

In our main service centre in HCMC we have 2000m2 of covered workshop space, training rooms, driver rest areas, wash areas as well as full tool sets. Our parts area maintains over USD300,000 of brand new original spare parts, kept in airconditioned storage rooms. Our WIDOS computer parts and service system can identify any part on any model of Wirtgen equipment sold, and if it is not in stock we can order from our regional parts centre in Singapore.

 

A growing number of our customers are signing maintenance agreements with our service team, ensuring regular preventative maintenance checks are carried out to identify future problems and repair before they become large and expensive problems.

 

Why not call our Service Manager to invite them to make an inspection of your equipment. Remember that well maintained equipment will make you money both during your job and raise the resale value of your equipment when you come to sell. Vietserve is always ready to discuss trade-in buy back on Wirtgen equipments if well maintained.

 

Phạm Huy Hiếu – Service Manager HCMC

Điện thoại: 0903 343 543

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

Nguyễn Toàn Thắng – Service Manager Hanoi

Điện thoại: 0903 036 626

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

For more information on our service capabilities and to view some service jobs we have undertaken click on service jobs.